Cottonwood County, Minnesota Income Statistics
Cottonwood County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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C
Cottonwood County Below averageLess wealthy than 85% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Cottonwood County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $72,183 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $52,485 | $67,028 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 9.1% | 15.1% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 7.3% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Cottonwood County is about 20% lower than in Minnesota. Income has been growing faster in Cottonwood County (5.4%/yr) than in Minnesota (4.4%/yr).
About 9% of adults in Cottonwood County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Minnesota average of 15%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Cottonwood County, Minnesota grew by 81.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $72,183 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.4% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Cottonwood County
| Metric | Cottonwood County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.507 | 0.507 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $59,521 | $74,898 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $49,607 | $62,922 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 16.7% | 16.0% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Cottonwood County, it is 0.507, about the same as Minnesota's 0.507, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 20% more than women's income in Cottonwood County, Minnesota. Over a 35-year career, a 20% wage gap accumulates to roughly $346,990 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cottonwood County, Minnesota has narrowed from about 26% to 17% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 33% in 2018, and was narrowest at 11% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $103 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Cottonwood County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 2.8% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 10.7% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 10 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 162 people are unemployed in Cottonwood County, Minnesota.
The average commute time in Cottonwood County is 10 minutes, shorter than the 20 minutes in Minnesota.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Cottonwood County, Minnesota has fallen from 4.5% to 2.8% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 5.1% in 2017.
Cottonwood County, MN Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Cottonwood County, MN is typical in size for this group, 11,447 residents against a local median of 11,205, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Cottonwood County, MN's income growth, at 5.4%/yr, runs 30% above the 4.2%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 1.6%/yr on income growth, so Cottonwood County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cottonwood County, MN has the highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood County, MN | 11,447 | $72,183 #3/6 | 5.4%/yr #1/6 | 2.8% #4/6 | 0.507 #6/6 |
| Jackson County, MN | 9,933 | $76,080 | 4.2%/yr | 2.4% | 0.477 |
| Redwood County, MN | 13,610 | $67,231 | 4.0%/yr | 2.6% | 0.500 |
| Brown County, MN | 25,800 | $69,882 | 3.2%/yr | 2.9% | 0.473 |
| Watonwan County, MN | 11,205 | $72,035 | 4.8%/yr | 5.3% | 0.502 |
| Murray County, MN | 8,097 | $74,135 | 4.5%/yr | 2.7% | 0.488 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cottonwood County, Minnesota has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it somewhat worse than Minnesota, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Cottonwood County, Minnesota.
How Rich Is Cottonwood County, Minnesota?
Cottonwood County has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $72,183, about 20% lower than the Minnesota average of $89,852.
Are incomes growing in Cottonwood County, Minnesota?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Cottonwood County, Minnesota rose 81%, from $39,873 to $72,183. Over the same years, income here outpaced Minnesota as a whole: +81% against +57%.
What was the median household income in Cottonwood County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Cottonwood County, Minnesota was $67,528, up 6% from $63,639 in 2022. The Minnesota median that year was $88,324.
What was the median household income in Cottonwood County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Cottonwood County, Minnesota was $51,243. By 2024 it had risen 41% to $72,183.
Is unemployment high in Cottonwood County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Cottonwood County, Minnesota is only 2.8%, well below the Minnesota rate of 4.1%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Cottonwood County, Minnesota?
The Gini coefficient in Cottonwood County is 0.507. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Cottonwood County, Minnesota?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cottonwood County, Minnesota has narrowed from about 26% to 17% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 33% in 2018, and was narrowest at 11% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $103 since 2009.
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